Miami Heat vs Phoenix Suns Prediction: Heat to claim victory

Miami and Phoenix are in active talks over Jae Crowder: Phoenix has already traded away Duncan Robinson and requested Max Strus. If only in that context, it will be interesting to follow the Suns' and Heat's head-to-head encounter – who will emerge stronger?

The Heat are off to a shaky start to the season, only ninth in the East with six wins in 13 games. Last regular season the team finished in 1st place in 3-point shooting, but now with 34.3% of their shots they are only in 20th place. Tyler Herro has missed the last 3 games but despite that Miami has won 2 games. Twice in a row was defeated by Charlotte, who is now one of the league's outsiders. In Herro's absence, Duncan Robinson, who is unstable even on offense, let alone defense, got more playing time. Herro could be back in action for the game against Phoenix, and Dewayne Dedmon is also questionable. Omer Yurtseven and Victor Oladipo will definitely not play.

Erik Spoelstra's team defeated the Hornets 132-115 at home in their last game. There was no problem with long-range shots this time, although the opponent was still one of the best on defense at the arc recently. Max Strus made 8 three-pointers and was the highest scorer on the team, while Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo were also very effective, scoring 20 and 24 points respectively. Gabe Vincent was the 4th player with 20+ points coming off the bench, while Duncan Robinson was 0 for 6 from beyond the arc.

The Suns have been alternating wins and losses of late, which is not surprising, since the team has been hit pretty hard by injuries. Phoenix managed to make up for Deandre Ayton's absence this season, but right now Cameron Johnson and Chris Paul are out for good. Nevertheless, if the Suns beat Miami, they would catch up with Portland and Denver, who lead the Western Conference. Thanks to solid defense, Devin Booker's offensive performances are often enough to win. Phoenix is currently No. 2 in the NBA defensive rankings, and above all, it is reliable under its own basket. Deandre Ayton has been improving on defense every year, and then there's Joc Landale, who's also useful in his own half.

Chris Paul didn't play in the last game against Orlando and his participation is now questionable. Monty Williams' team lost to the Magic by a score of 97-114. Devin Booker made only 6 of 19 shots from the field, a situation that made it difficult to hope for a win. Cameron Payne suddenly became the Suns' leader on offense in that game, sinking 5 three-pointers. Big men like Ayton, Landale, and Biyombo looked good, but Dario Saric and Josh Okogie, who came off the bench, were disappointing.

Phoenix, even with an optimal roster, had game problems at the start of the season. Paul has ceased to be a decent option in completing attacks, but still his playmaking skills are very important for the Suns. Miami is showing a nice game despite having negative balance of wins and losses. Some games lacked concentration on the end, with time stability should come. If Herro plays, it will be even easier for the Heat. On defense they are almost as good as the visitors and Bam Adebayo is unlikely to let Deandre Ayton get away. Our prediction is as follows:

• W1 (incl. OT) for 1.815;
• TU (215.5) for 1.90;
• W1 by 21+ Points for 8.00.

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